BEERG: Freedom of Movement Until 2021 May Be Included in Brexit Deal

January 19, 2018

Revised EU negotiating guidelines on Brexit reportedly suggest that the EU will insist that complete freedom of movement, a feature available to EU countries, should be extended in the UK to the start of 2021. In order to allow for time to implement regulatory and infrastructure arrangements, the UK has asked the EU for a “transition arrangement” lasting two years after the official leaving date in 2019. As stated in the BEERG Global Labor Newsletter, “The EU is prepared to offer such an arrangement on the strict understanding that during the transition the UK continues to act as if it were still an EU member, subject to all EU laws and processes, but without having a voice in the EU’s governance structures.” Such an arrangement could mean that EU citizens arriving in the UK after Brexit but before 2021 would be able to stay indefinitely and would be able to access work permits under the new immigration regime. Read the full BEERG Newsletter.